Help Me Get off the Sugar!

mtzrose2001

I am way addicted to sugar. It's scares me to reflect on the amount of sugar that I actually consume. It is way too much! This is most likely the main reason I am overweight. I am 5'8" and 210 lbs. I was heavier last year. Then I managed to loose 30 lbs quite quickly with a diet of natual and whole foods. I quite all unnatural sugar and ate all whole foods. After I lost enough weight that I felt satisfied with my appearance, I began to slowly regain my bad eating habits back. I regained 20 of the pounds I lost. I made a plan to start eating healthy again and to cut out the sugar. However, I could not make it thorough even one day I felt soooo horrible and got a really bad headache. I think this is when I realized how much my body really is counting on it's daily dose of sugar. I really need some guidance and help this time around with cutting out my sugar. I'm sure that my blood sugar levels are are up and down all day. I get really insane cravings for sweat things all day long and they are really intense at times. I feel like I need large amounts of sugar for my body to feel okay. I would love to know how to get off of this crap b4 it kills me! I can feel that I am unhealthy. I am almost certain that this will turn into diabetes down the road. I am the only person I know that eats as much sugar as I do. I really just want to get a start on kicking this sugar additions butt. Is there a way to cut it out cold turkey without going through the headaches and such. I'm not good at sustaining a long term goals that includes me weening off sugar. I feel I need to just set a date and cut it all at once if I'm going to be successful at this thing. Is there something that I can take (besides over the counter pain relievers) to help the headaches. Is there anything that will help to level off my blood sugar levels? Has anyone been through this? I could really use and appreciate some advice. Please, add me as a friend if you are or have struggled with this kind of thing. I would love to make some friends here and support each others efforts!
Amanda

stefanopsimaris

Track your Macro's. And if it fits your Macros Eat dat sugar brahette

berthabunny

Bump!

I have some of the same problem, would love to hear some ideas! Mainly I eat sugar inn things, and definitely some sweets, but it comes from all over the place!!

stefanopsimaris

Sugar does not lead to diabetes. all studies surgesting this are done on sedetary individuals. Although exess sugar can lead to diebets due to inproper insulen responce over time the level of sugar one must eat if they have a low BF% and exercise would be massive like 40% of your dailey intake of sugar.

mazzasweet

Bump :-)

SpaceShuttle13

Go to Walmart and purchase Spring Valley Chromium Picolinate 1000mcg.I personally take one tablet in the morning everyday and I do not crave sugar at all.I hope this helps.

sunsnstatheart

I know there are people on here that have cut out virtually all sugar from their diet. I'm not one of them. I want to enjoy things like ice cream, pie and cake. And I drink beer. And I eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Hell, I had Wendy's today (a chicken sandwich but Wendy's nevertheless).

My point is, focus on what really matters: calories, and macro- and micronutrients. If you have calories left, you have gotten sufficient protein and fats, and you've consumed sufficient micronutrients, then enjoy your sweets so long as you do not go over on your calories. I find that this is a great motivator to do cardio. The more exercise, the more you are allowed to eat and stay within your goals.

You will see people on here and other places calling this "IIFYM" or "If It Fits Your Macros." There is a wonderful flexibility in this that frees you from the pain and agony of diets and the entire concept of "bad foods." Use it. Be happy.

MaryTheIceCube

Here's an article I wrote about sugar withdrawal: http://hub.me/aeCOt

cmriverside

Carbohydrate, and especially sugar addictions are common. You stated it perfectly. You are out of control, you feel icky when you try to stop, you have health consequences (overweight).

Go to Overeaters Anonymous. Or look it up online. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance. Been there. You can wean yourself off, or quit Cold Turkey. Eventually you will be able to control it. Have faith. You can do this.

Tw1zzler

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and have diabetes on both sides of my family. I do better with a lower carb diet. That being said I indulge in dark chocolate and sweets here and there. I've done Atkins (too severe) and South Beach (too salty) and Paleo.. too restrictive... Once you cut your sugars down you crave them less & less. I'd much rather have 200 calories of steak than 200 calories of cake... = )

SexyPrettyMama

Seriously if you eat more cooked vegetables, in particular greens it will help detox you, taking away the cravings. Drink water primarily. Read food labels for hidden sugars, like dextrose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.

shabbychick81

it will take 3 days to get to feeling better. day 3 was the worst for me.

Ramberta

Try buying sugar free things to satisfy your sweet tooth, such as popsicles or hard candies. They'll give you that sweet taste without being damaging on your blood sugar levels. Also if you drink juice daily, cut that out and replace it with water flavored with those little Mio things-- I'm pretty sure any kind you get is 0 cals and 0 sugar, and it tastes just like Kool-Aid. If you drink juice for the vitamin C, perhaps look into taking vitamin supplements.

Lastly, when you really want a specific sweet, and you've been thinking about it for days, go and eat that sweet. Just take as long as possible to actually eat it. Give yourself every opportunity to turn it down, and if you end up setting it aside for another day, bravo. If not, try your best to eat a moderate portion, don't give in to bingeing, and savor every bite. You're not going to be able to just "pick a date and stop" for good, but try to have the attitude that sugar isn't GOOD for you, but in small doses it's not terrible either. Best of luck to you.

gettingontrack126

try bringing in more natural forms of sugar. Go out and buy a huge fruit platter at the grocery store (or you can chop up some yourself if you like) and snack on that. make sure it stuff you like!!! or you'll never want ot eat it. mkae smoothies!! i swear this helped me with my softdrink cravings, because smoothies are not only sweet and tasty, but they are fillling too.
Is also a good idea to increase water intake. sometimes when i felt like i wanted some soda or some juice, i discovered my body was actually craving water, because soft drinks don't ever fill your craving, (thats why its easy to drink so much) but a half-bottle of water will leave you satisfied.
Its okay to have some sugar when you want it, dont stress too much on sugar focus on the goodness of the foods you eat and the calories, as long as theres no problems pertaing to sugar dont worry

kapoorpk

Sugars alone are never the whole culprit for unstable blood sugar levels of weight gain. What matters is the total number of carbs you consume. Preferably more complex carbs than simple carbs, i.e. more whole grains, wheat, oats, etc. Dietitians recommend, for women, to limit your carbs to 45gms (regardless of the sugar content) per major meal, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, take two more mini meals or snack meals for which limit your carbs to 15-20gms. Increase protien and fiber content in your diet, which will make you less hungry. Make sure your mini meals are at least 2-3 hours apart from other meals. If you do the above, you should stabilize your energy and sugar levels. To lose weight though, you just need to use MFP to figure out your total daily energy expenditure or TDEE and create a calorie deficit, with the carb limits stated above, and you will lose weight.

Hope that helps. Let me know of any questions.

Softrbreeze

It's quite possible you have a yeast overgrowth in your gut. It's fairly common. There is an over-the-counter homeopathic med designed to treat vaginal yeast infections. I discovered quite accidentally that it also curbs sugar craving, presumably by killing off some of the excess yeast. I can't remember the name, but I'm sure the pharmacist can point you in the right direction!

PosterGuy1

See if things like apples, yogurt, and Kellogs Nutrigrain satisfy your sweet tooth.

Tryinonemoretime

I was exactly like you!!!!! Intense cravings for sweets! I would SNEAK out in the middle of the night and buy 20 bucks worth of crap at the local gas station and eat it ALL! I would be ready to puke and so ashamed.
My doctor told me that if I quit soda pop (even diet) that my sugar cravings would dissapear. I thought Horsesh*t! I had to apologise to her the next visit because she was 100 percent correct. I can bypass any and all sweety treat that I could NEVER have passed up before.
And I have no cravings that I can't control anymore. My sweet tooth is what always killed my diets in the past.
So if you are drinking anykind of soda.............stop and you will be much better off. Now I drink tea or sparkling water to satisfy my craving for the fuzzy stuff but I only have 1 or two a week.
I hope this helps and good luck to you!

mtzrose2001

Track your Macro's. And if it fits your Macros Eat dat sugar brahette

I think sugar and refined sugars are making up at least half of my daily calories:(
All I drink in sweetened drinks. Mostly coffee with tones of sugar. That's all day every day. I don't drink any water. Just for example today I ate a Hershey pie for breakfast along with a brat and a giant cup of coffee with about a 1/4 cup sugar in it and cinnamon slavered syrup. Then for lunch I had about 2 cups of pasts with about 1/2 cup of shrimp. Then I went on to drink a couple cups of Lipton iced tee. Then I had a chocolate moose (the one from Applebees.) I also had 2 of the real little bags of Cheetos. Oh and I had one package of oatmeal with about about 3 teaspoons of sugar on it. I'll probably have a bowl of chocolate/ peanut butter cereal before bed. Soooo, Yeah.... It's bad and I don't think I should just keep eating it Kind of wish it were that simple! I have an insane amount of willpower and determination. I feel like this is one thing that I am definitely going to need some help with and some tools.

jkleon86

I know how you are feeling, it is like a drug habit that ya can't brake.
I looked up sugar side effects and read it over and over but to completely cut it out I have not figured it out yet but I have cut down hoping to ween off all together someday :noway: .

mtzrose2001

Sugar does not lead to diabetes. all studies surgesting this are done on sedetary individuals. Although exess sugar can lead to diebets due to inproper insulen responce over time the level of sugar one must eat if they have a low BF% and exercise would be massive like 40% of your dailey intake of sugar.

This is somewhat confusing because you said that sugar does not lead to diabetes but then said that it does (indirectly).

mtzrose2001

Go to Walmart and purchase Spring Valley Chromium Picolinate 1000mcg.I personally take one tablet in the morning everyday and I do not crave sugar at all.I hope this helps.

Thanks I'll certainly look into it!

mtzrose2001

I know there are people on here that have cut out virtually all sugar from their diet. I'm not one of them. I want to enjoy things like ice cream, pie and cake. And I drink beer. And I eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Hell, I had Wendy's today (a chicken sandwich but Wendy's nevertheless).

My point is, focus on what really matters: calories, and macro- and micronutrients. If you have calories left, you have gotten sufficient protein and fats, and you've consumed sufficient micronutrients, then enjoy your sweets so long as you do not go over on your calories. I find that this is a great motivator to do cardio. The more exercise, the more you are allowed to eat and stay within your goals.

You will see people on here and other places calling this "IIFYM" or "If It Fits Your Macros." There is a wonderful flexibility in this that frees you from the pain and agony of diets and the entire concept of "bad foods." Use it. Be happy.

I will be looking into the Macro thing as I have never heard of it b4. I was happy and felt great on wholefoods after the first few days. I just wanna get through the withdraws without all the pain and then I think I'll be okay and on my way.

mtzrose2001

Here's an article I wrote about sugar withdrawal: http://hub.me/aeCOt

Thanks for the article. Nice info

mtzrose2001

Carbohydrate, and especially sugar addictions are common. You stated it perfectly. You are out of control, you feel icky when you try to stop, you have health consequences (overweight).

Go to Overeaters Anonymous. Or look it up online. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance. Been there. You can wean yourself off, or quit Cold Turkey. Eventually you will be able to control it. Have faith. You can do this.

I'll check it out. Thanks!

sugarfree123

I used to be a major sugar addict. I did not want to eat anything that was not a simple carb or totally sweet. I tried several different methods like " no sugar till after 12 noon then game on" then no sugar till after 5 pm them game on. this method worked somewhat because if you start the day out with sugar then you keep rebounding and craving all day. (Remember simple carbs are sugar) If I just ate sugar before bedtime, I had no time to rebound before bed. Not only can the sugar lead to diabetes and insulin resistance, it also causes hardening of the arteries and can also cause osteoporosis and wrinkled skin. Another fact, if you are eating junk like sugar, it replaces the good stuff you are supposed to be eating. If you will eat what you ate in the past, plain meats,(lots of protein) fruits and veges, you will discover that by giving your body what it really wants and needs that your cravings will stop. I seldom crave anything. Remember, shop on the outer parameter of the store. Don't buy the junk and it won't call your name in a moment of weakness. Eat small healthy stuff very frequently. Even if it is every hour. Don't allow yourself to get hungry and your body will not realize that it is doing without junk food and you will stay under better control. You can do this because you are crazy enough to think you can. You just have to decide that enough is enough and just do it.

netski19

I started the paleo diet ten days ago so I know exactly how you feel. If it helps, my headaches were only on the 3rd and 4th days and they weren't debilitating; more like a dull pain. Of course, everyone is different, and your headaches might be worse than mine but keep telling yourself that it'll pass. I was addicted to white rice, I ate it with every meal, but I got through that because reading about the paleo diet motivated me to keep going and I'm so glad I did, because I can already feel the difference. Seven days after completely cutting off the sugar, I took a sip of my son's root beer, and it tasted sooo gross! I felt like I drank pancake syrup, so now, I don't miss it. Even when I'm around a lot of carbs and sweets, I'm okay eating lean and veggies. Good luck! You can do this!

stargazer008

I found that once I started eating more healthy fats and proteins, my cravings for sugar were reduced. I find that fruit can satisfy me nicely. I rarely have urges for sugar now. I still like to have a daily sugary treat though I don't want to gorge on it like I used to. If you check out my food diary, most of my sugar intake is from fruits, veggies and other natural sugars like lactose. I'm still working on my sugar intake. I would say that going cold turkey may help, sure it will suck at first though your body will adjust to the change and likely be happier as well.

kw85296

I, too, am addicted to sugar. I found that I do not crave it as long as I have plenty of fruit in my diet. Pineapple seems to help alot as well as strawberries and apples. In fact, there have been studies that show apples are helpful in maintaining a level sugar (glucose) level in the blood stream. I also don't eat a lot of bread, because for some reason, it makes me more apt to crave bake goods. Hope this helps.

gkozub

I used to have this problem, hardcore!
A few tips:

1) Make fruit your best friend! It is a healthy, fibre-filled way to eat sugar without feeling guilty about it. The sugar in fruit is natural, and will not sit on your waist the way refined sugar does. Try to have fruit with most of your meals, as this will always keep a little bit of natural sugar in your body, and you will crave less.

2) Ditch the artificial sweeteners (if you're using any). Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose (found in diet soft drinks and "sugar-free" food items) actually cause sugar cravings for some people. Why? Because these chemical ingredients are meant to trick your brain into feeling like you're eating sugar, but your body knows it's not actually the real sugar its craving. Not to mention, a packet of splenda, for example, tastes 2x as sweet as a packet of sugar! Try switching to a natural sweetener, like stevia or truvia.

3) Find replacements for your go-to sugar-filled foods. For example, I love Nutella, but its main ingredient is sugar. So, I switched to Maranantha Chocolate Almond spread. It's delicious, and is not nearly as bad for you as Nutella is. Another example of a switch I made was to get rid of candy bars (oh, how I do love Kit-Kat...), and replaced it with dark chocolate. Calorie wise, there is not much difference, but the sugar content in dark chocolate is much lower than it is in milk chocolate (the darker the chocolate, the less the sugar-- I aim to eat 70% cocoa). It gives me my chocolate fix without going overboard.

4) Indulge on occasion! It is not a crime to have a sweet tooth! I also love jelly beans, apple pie, chocolate brownies and chocolate covered almonds. So, I do have those on occasion! You should enjoy the foods you love once in a while.

mtzrose2001

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and have diabetes on both sides of my family. I do better with a lower carb diet. That being said I indulge in dark chocolate and sweets here and there. I've done Atkins (too severe) and South Beach (too salty) and Paleo.. too restrictive... Once you cut your sugars down you crave them less & less. I'd much rather have 200 calories of steak than 200 calories of cake... = )

I do find also that cutting sugars down helps you to stop craving them less. The problem for me personally is that any sugar in my diet eventually leads me to craving more and more over time.